1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the sugarcane industry in general and to a method for increasing the recoverable sugar in sugarcane, in particular.
2. Prior Art
Due to limited global food and land resources, there have been ongoing efforts on the part of researchers and farmers to increase the yield of food-bearing plants, such as sugarcane. Sugarcane (Saccharum) is a tall perennial grass comprising stout fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar. However, consensus has not been reached in the sugarcane industry on how exactly to optimize the recoverable sugar yield in sugarcane. Various potential methods have been proposed and are commonly used in the sugarcane industry, though they have resulted in only limited success. One such method includes supplying great amounts of nitrogen to the soil at the beginning of growing season, to avoid the risk of insufficient nitrogen while the cane is growing. However, this method is costly and often counterproductive, as will be discussed further below. Another method includes applying chemical ripeners to the sugarcane plant prior to harvest. However, current application of ripeners are broad and unrelated to any specific measures, and thus are of limited effectiveness.